The Role of Chief Acquisition Officers: What Should They Be Doing?

The Service Acquisition Reform Act (SARA) Legislation of 2003 (41 U.S.C. 414) established new positions of Chief Acquisition Officers to oversee Federal civilian agency acquisition operations. The expectation was that the CAO would be highly placed in the agency, advising the agency head on business strategy and focusing on acquisition in the broadest sense of the term. Many would argue that the CAO position has not lived up to its promise. This problem is compounded by the fact that the position has frequently become a part-time "other duty as assigned" for a senior political appointee who already has many other responsibilities. Read the brief to learn about the recommendations from this seminar. Contracting